What Lies Within the Forest
Sister Animal wandered around a forest, something she did on a regular basis. She would feel the soft touch of the leeves, talk to the animals, and sit around and just be lazy. She had taken her lyre with her, and began strumming. She hummed a little bit, but deciding she was tone-deaf, she let the birds sing to her tune. Eagle flew above with the birds. Seeing another human in his domain he landed behind a tree silently. He pulled out his blade hoping they would leave without a fight. "Leave Human this is no place fo one of your kind." His grip was firm and his eyes deadset. She stopped playing and turned around. "how cute, you think I'm human. I've been in this forest longer than you've been alive, buddy." She sat down on a tree stump and started playing again. Nearby wolves started to howl. "Indeed." He put his knive away. "How young do you think I am?" He could see her more clearly ashe moved out of the shadows. "These animals live,breed,and die. Yet as many times as I see this cycle I do none. It is a curse. Seeing her ears he stopped. "What are you?" "I am the animals. I represent them, i speak for them, for they have no words to speak with. Well, they do, but thats besides the point. My name is Sister Animal. Perhaps you have heard of my mother and father? Mother Earth and Father Time. And i know for a fact that I'm older than you." She took off her ears "these are just a headband from the costume shop that i got. heh~" She strapped her lyre back on to her back and invited a fox into her lap. "Might i ask who you are?" "I'm the guarian of this forest." He dodged her question. He didn't want to answer about his past. He was old. hundreds of years old. Now he finally met someone older then him. Someone who might understand. "How helpful. I ment 'what is you name' because 'The Guardian of this Forest' is a little too long of a title." She streched out her arms. She picked the fox off of her lap and stood up. She did all kinds of streaches, almost falling over while balancing on one leg. "Humans call me Eagle Blade. I do not remember my true name." He couldn't help but blush when he saw her stretching . ".You do know that in certain animal cultures that is a request to mate." His hair trailed behind him in the wind. "yup. But this is how i strech, so if you don't like it, then f*** you. Pardon my language, Eagle." She stopped streching and re-aranged the things in her little pouch. She stuck out her hand, requesting a handshake. "my real name is Hilaua. Dumb name, so call me Sister or Hil." He accepted the handshake stangely. "If I don't like how you strech then you wish to mate?" He was confused and not used to modern terms. "None of those names fit you. Do you have a nickname?" "hm? oh no, no... When somebody says 'f***' you' take it as an insult. And I really don't have a nickname... well, i have one, but only close friends call me it. just call me whatever, I guess." She shrugged, locking her hands behind her head. He was genuinely confused. "The mortal world has changed. Fox?" He looked down at the creature she had held. "Fox seems right." He blushed. "Forgive me. I had yet to see someone more beautiful then my mother." "Your mother is a fox?" She was sure he wasn't talking about her. "hm. Well , if you have a thing for foxes, i won't judge." She looked around, for who knows what. "I'm gonna keep walking. Feel free to follow." She enjoyed the company of one that enjoyed animals as much as she. "No I meant you. Fox it seems like the perfect nick name. And you are the most beautiful woman I have ever met." He followed slowly behind her..Intrigued by having another to talk to. "All animals had a mate.Maybe it was time for him to find one." "Fox? I'll take it. and don't even bother flattering me like that, buddy. I'm a no-go among males, so don't even bother. " She took a bottle of strangly colored liquid from out of her pouch and chugged it. It smelled sweet, like flowers. A goup of humming birds seemed to want whatever was inside the bottle, as the kept trying to get all the little drops still inside the bottle. "I'm no ordinary male." His wings pushe out of his back. He frowned. This probably would not impress. "Why are you a no-go? If I may ask." He had met females before. Girls come to the forest but none like her, "Relationships rarely ever work out, so I've given up." She continued to feel the leaves as they walked. She turned around and walked backwards, facing Eagle. "besides that, we barely just met. I don't know anything about you. Or your past, and it might just be me, but I like to hear a little bit of someones history before i deem them good or not." Eagle looked up. "Hundreds, maybe thousands, of years ago there was a war. Magic vs. Non Magic. My parents were children during the war., They fell in love and had me. My mother was a witch.My Father a figthers son. Forbidden love. The mages were almost fully wiped out by the war. As the Wizard lord died he cused me to die when my parents did. Then they were sentanced to death by the warriors. My Mother used her life fotce to change the curse. I would die when this forest died. The warriors moved away. But I was left. They could not kill me." "tough stuff right there, man. I remember that war. My mother forbid us from visiting the earth, so we stayed up in the heavans all those years. My brother and i placed bets with every battle, too. I was so happy when it was over, i could finally visit my animals, and oh, how i missed them." She sighed and slowed ther walking pace, eventually to a stop. she looked down, picked up a rock, and chucked it as far as she could. "lost a lot of friends in that war, which is why I've kind of givin up on friends." "Death comes to mortals.then those who live forever wish they could die too."He looked up. A tear rolled down his face. "Thats just how it goes. But thats not how we go." He stood next to Fox. "I'm not like them." "i know that feel, dude. Hey, follow me, i wanna show you something i made forever ago, when i was little." She grabbed his wrist and pulled on him. She started to run. Eagle followed. What could he have missed in the forest? He has lived here a long time. Longer then any nromal human. He thought he had covered every part of it. They arrived to a place covered in mossy rock and leaves. She moved a leaf out of the way, shape shifted into a snake, and slithered on in. a few seconds later, her hand popped out, holding a small vile filled with a blue liquid. "drink this." she ordered. He nodded. The flavor was exquisite, He had to stop himself from swallowing it all in one gulp. "What is this?" He stared at the bottle in contemplation. "don't ask. Hold on to my hand." She layed out her hand, the only thing visable from behind the large stone wall. He did as he was told. He took it and felt enrgy and thrill run through his veins. "Wh..What are you doing?" "relax." She took his hand and pulled him through the wall. He passed through as if the wall wasn't even there. "my friend supplies me with pretty good chemicals." On the nicest, lovliest hill was a tall tree. On the branch was a tire swing. "have you ever seen a tire swing before? these are the best things ever." 'Magic' Eagle guessed. "No. But isn't swing an action not a thing?" He looked down at her hand still holding his. "Wh..What is this place?" "You've honestly never seen a swing before? Well, you get on that tire, push your legs back and forth, and then you start moving, I guess." She shrugged. "I don't really know how else better to explain it. But this is my secret little place. I come here whenever i want to punch people in the face but can't." She let go of his hand and ran around, eventually falling and rolling down the other side of the hill. Eagle sat on the hill watching her smiling. He looked around. The place was amazing. Peace seemed to flow through it. He walked down and helped her up. "Did you do that on purpose?" "Of course I did. Haven't you've ever rolled down a hill before?" She got up and headed towards the tire swing. She sat down inside of the tire and began to swing. "Why is that enjoyable? You are going back and forth." He was confused. "I guess that it must be a human thing." "It's enjoyable because it's fun. You're such a stick in the mud." She got up. "Hey, do you ever fight?" "She loved fist fights. It helped her to become stronger, and she always got a lot of energy from it. "Sometimes." He looked around. "I've had my fair share over the past thousand years. Why? I hope you do not wish to fight. I can not harm you." "Oh, just wondering..." She cracked her knuckles and swung a punch at his face, missing. "heh. Close one, eh?." She was taunting him, trying to make him angry. She always faught with new people. If they couldn't get on her level, they weren't worth her time. He had flown backwards. "I do not want to fight." A chill ran up his spine. "Someone is in my woods." He flew towards the entrance. "You can't get out, you know. Nobody gets in or out without my help, and that thing that allowed you in before? I don't have anymore. I'll call my friend. She can get me more in 10 seconds flat. Well, not really, but whatever. I'll have to go and find that 'someone' for you." She shapeshifted into a snake and slithered back through the hole. "I got this, Eagle. Don't worry," "Don't worry." He scoffed. "She has no idea who shes dealing with. Eric is not to be messed with. She'll underestimate him." He glared at the ground. "She needs my blade to defeat him." He tried to push it through the hole. The hole was too small. - Eric grinned. "Oh Eagle! I'm back! Come on out." Sister Animal sat in a tree near by, and began to play her lyre. "Hey there, pal." She spit on his head. "What's your name?" Eric's head turned like a snake head. "So he's too scared to face me? Wait I know you. The Goddess sent her daughter to protect the whelp? Sorry Daughter Animal.I'play with fire. He launched his needle attack in all directions striking the trees which burst into flames. "Oh? you know who i am? Swell. Then you must know that i have a brother. Do you know what ''his ''name is? Well, if you don't, It's Brother Water. And you should know that he doesn't appreciate it when people destroy our mom's work." And just then, it started raining, and put some of the flames out. "listen, buddy. Why don't you just leave? It'll save us all quite a bit of time." "Sorry Princess. I'm a whole lot stronger then you can imagine. You left during the Mage War. Mistake. Could've learned a few things. See I learned your secrets and more. Immortality and invincibility." He grinned walking closer. "Just tell me where Eagle is. I have...Some unfinished buisness. I don't want to harm your body." He put his hands on either side of her. "Nothing your brother or you can do can harm me." "Heh." She grinned. "You could never learn my deepest secrets. But anywho. You seem pretty cute, so why don't you just leave. I'd hate to hurt that cute little face, boy." She poked his chest. "Nice try babe." He gave her a peck on the cheek. "But I've taken on Gods. You really think you have a chance? Zeus himself tried to kill me." He laughed backing away. "And this isn't my real face." It changed to an entirely different person. "And I can learn your weakness. I studied the ancient arts. I can make you live your nightmares! Now send me Eagle Blade or I will not allow your beauty to deter me from killing you." "You change forms? How nifty. Hey, would you like to play a guessing game? Go on and ask me what my weaknesses are. It'll be like charades! And go on and proceed with that nightmare thing, seeing as i live my nightmare every day." She smirked. The world went black. "Show me." The words came as a wisper. "Ah.Is that all? You are weak." The scenary changed. Hundreds of Hunters walked through a forest shooting every animal as they continued walking. Sister Animal's heart sunk into her stomach. She stood there, not knowing what to do. "This...This isn't real...That guy... magic...all it is is an illusion.. It's not real. It's not real. It's not real..." She hugged herself and closed her eyes. She didn't want to see it. If it was real... No. It wasn't. She had convinced herself it wasn't. It honestly wasn't real. "You can stop with the illusions, now, buddy." She was enraged. She bit her lip to the point of bleeding. "No Its just started." The men continued and started a fire. The forest started to blaze. Eagle Blade walked forward limping. His arm bleeding. One of the men pulledout a hangun. With one shot Eagle fell to the ground. "Well now, isn't that just a shame? Poor, poor, little Eagle." She started to laugh. "Well, buddy. None of this phases me. It's just an illusion. I know this for a fact now, because there is no way in Hell that Eagle could have gotten out from where he is. So go on, burn more trees! Kill more animals! heck, while your at it, shoot me down!" She smiled. It was all an illusion, after all... "Heh. Nice try." A figure apperead in front of her.. It multiplied into ten. "But what about this? Or the pain?" Each of the vesions of Eric shot out beams of energy striking her. It might have been an illusion, but it hurt. tears rolled down her cheeks, and she reached for her little bag for some sort of potion, anything. But nothing of use was in there. Not knowing what else to do, she changed into a bull, and charged at all of the Erics. She just wanted to go home. One by one they vanished. "Thank you for showing His weakness. Now if you'll excuse me." He vanished. So did the dark world. She opened her eyes, back in the same forest. Eric was still there. "Alright, you've had your fun. Go home and leave. me. alone." She was ready to snap. She clenched her fists, nails digging into her skin. "All i want is for you to be dead. Oh thats right, you're f***ing immortal, just like me, and just like Eagle. are you really going to be bitter for the next thousand years? and the thousand after that? listen, if your gonna be stuck here forever, might as well try and make it enjoyable." She swung a punch at his face. She didn't miss this time. She hit him square in the nose. He chuckled as her hand hit his face. "I'm immoveable. And you can't harm me. I've surpassed all Earthly ways." He laughed disappearing and reappearing Behind her. He launched a large ball of magic. It turned into a beam aimed directly at her. She moved out of the way, just in time. "You want a magic battle? Heh... I may not have magic, but i have a friend that has lots of magic..." She quickly opened up her phone and sent a message. "Do dee do dee doo~" Macy the Witch joyfully cleaned her cauldrens. Her phone beeped. "Ooh, that girl. Always getting herself into trouble. Oh well! More fun for me!" She grabbed her bag, put some test tubes filled with different colored liquids, and was off on her broom. "I've defeated magic users. Now if you'll excuse me." He launched an attack at a tree. It burst into flames. "Give me Eagle or I destroy him." "nope~" In an instant, the flames went out. Upon her broom was Macy, happy as ever. "Howdy! I understand you're tryin' to hurt my buddy?" She threw Sister Animal the bag she had brought, and Sister ran off, back to Eagle. "Now listen, our magic is different. I have witch magic, you have wizard magic, as i call it. Now, you could be using that magic for good. But if you don't wanna, i get it. But understand that I'll have to lay the hurt on you~" She giggled. "I use Dark magic. Your light magic does have its advantages though. Everthought about causing a rucus? Could use a helper like you on my side." He smiled. A warm smile. "I won't back down. though." He struck another tree.it burst into flames/ "All I want is Eagle Blade. Not your friend." "Sigh~" With a snap of her fingers, the flame went out. "Hey, that wasn't very nice, you know. I could never cause harm, so don't ask. Why don't you just leave? It's people like you that cause sweet Miss Delilha all kinds of stress.. It's not nice, you know" She frowned. "God, I'm so out of shape..." Sister complained as she ran. Finally, she reached the enterance to the wall she had taken Eagle not to long ago. "Who the !@#$%^&* was that, Eagle?!" She hit the wall and reached her hand throught the hole, again with a bottle of liquid. "The End." Eagle took the bottle. "He was once a mage. He got too strong and became pure magic He only has one weakness."- Eric yawned. A quick attack that looked like a spear stuck at his opponet. He drained her of her magic. "Your cute young one. You should have gone into dark magiv." He smiled. "Call me if you ever wanna go out." He returned to burning trees. "Potions~" Still cheerful, even after being attacked, she took a bottle out of her other bag and drank it. "A proper witch never goes anywhere without her regeneration potions, silly!" She got off her broom, put the flame out - again - and put her hand on Eric's shoulder. "Pal, That offer was awful nice, but I'll have to decline. But thanks anyway!" She cast a spell on him that froze his foot to the forest floor. Only one foot... "only one weekness? Well what on earth is it? that jerk made me sick. I'll do whatever i can to make that !@#$%^&* pay..." She held his hand and pulled him through the wall, the same way as before. He pulled out a blade. "This." He frowned. "I didn't want it to come to this."-- Eric vanished reappearing holding his hands around her waist. "So whens the date?" He vanished reappearing launching a multitude of magic beams. "If you survive this of course." "How about February 30th?" She pryed his hands off her. She liked him, but he was a black magic user. She could never, especially after what he had done to Sister Animal. She got on her broomstick, stood on it, and was upside down, defying gravity. "So, wanna make a bet? I'l bet You'll be the one that doesn't make it out of this, okie dokie? Tee hee!" She put her hands on her hips. "That blade? Oh.. Eagle.. Blade... i get it. But anyway, how will that tiny little thing stop him?" She was anxious to get home, so she tried speeding the process along quickly. Eric flipped himself upside down and flew with himbeing inchs in front of her. "Stop joking." He stroked her outer thigh before flying backwards. "Wanna catch me?"-- "Its made out of the same curse that I'm connected to. ITs the only thing stronger then him." Eagle frowned as he flew towars Erics location. "eh?" Macy was just touched. She was in rampage mode. She was right-side up again, sat down on her broom, steaming. "Get back here, you no good, lousy piece of !@#$%^&*! I'll tear your spleen apart, force you to eat it, make you vomit it back up, and eat it again!!" Her face was red. She sped after him on her broom. "Hm? OH! EAGLE! Wait up!" she transformed into a hawk, and soared after him. she transformed into a humming bird and rested on his shoulder, She was still out of breath from running. Just then did it hit her she could have transformed into something earlier so she didn't have to run... "D'oh.." she though "Your cute you know that?" Eric laughed flying an dodging her attacks.-- Eagle looked own. No gleam in his eye. Instea they were tears. "Why'd he look at those books?" Macy launched bolts of magic at him. She hit him a couple times, but her rage threw her off. "C'mere! I only want to kill you!" Macy shouted Still in humming bird state, Sister looked up at him. What could she do to help? She wanted to speak to comfort him, but couldn't. She wasn't sure if he understood hummingbird, so she transformed. She went full-human, and fell to her impending doom. None of the strikes affected him. "Cmon it was just a touch you were fantasying about me in your mind."-- Eagle looked at the hummingbird. It transformed. He shot own after her. After catching her he grinned. "You better not die on me Fox." "AS IF!" She launched a ball of ice at him, one after the other. After a while she cooled down. She wasn't worth her time. Sister would be back any second now, and Macy could leave. She messaged her temples. "heh... Thanks..." Sister thanked Eagle. She had a face of terror, seing as they were so horribly close to the ground. "C-close call.. h-huh...?" She trembled. "Oh you done? Pick you up at 8 tommorow?" He gave his smile. It made him look cute.--"Don't do that." Eagle landed. "Eric!" Eric turned "Old buddy I know your weakness thanks to your Godess of a girlfriend." Eagle narrowed his eyes. He pulled out the blade. Macy blushed. "No way, pal." She got off of her broom and went over and stood by a tree. She was certain she had a cold. She was plotting revenge against Sister for ruining her lovely spring cleaning. Macy would probably just give Sister something to make her look stupid for an hour and call it even. "Alright, Eric, was it? Well, 1. I'm not a goddess. Quit calling me one, and 2. I. am not. his girlfriend." She made the last part very clear. She went over and stood by Macy. She needed a break, badly. Eric shrugged. Eagle looked at the blade in his hand. "I don't want to do this Eric." "Its too late for that Eagle, The two rushed at eachother. The blade outstrecthed, Eagle tried to attack Eric. "I will kill you." Eric could sense the weapon was strong enough to kill him. He smiled in the direction of Macy when Eagle sent the blade straight through him. Macy wasn't phased a bit. She moved her hat to cover her eyes and crossed her arms. "Good ridance..." She mumbled under her breath. Sister was silent, watching the blade pierce Eric's skin. To be quite honest, she enjoyed it. She loved watching that no-good lousy scum being wiped away from existance. Eagle looked at his hands. "What have I done?" "You rid this world of one more jerk. Congrats, pal." Sister walked over and patted his back. Macy was still leaning up against a tree, hat over her eyes, and Sister was fairly certain she was asleep. "He used to be my best friend." Eagle lost the use of his knees. Sister struggled to keep him up-right. Eventually, she set him down. Sister held his hand. "Key word there is "used". He was a terrible, horrible friend. It's a good thing he's dead." Macy snored. Yup. she was asleep. Eagle collapsed. Fainted from exaustian. A few hours later, Eagle woke up in a chair. a soft, padded bowl chair. Macy and Sister were playing Portal 2 Co-op. "Put the stupid cube right there. You see where I'm pointing?" Sister was showing Macy what to do. "here?" Macy asked. "Oh my God, you actually did it. Let me see if i have any dog treats with me." Sister was being sarcastic. "Oh hey, Thanks. I- wait a minute." Macy looked over and saw Eagle. "Hey-howdy sleepy head! How was your little nap?" Macy asked Eagle stood up. "Where are we?" He looked around the room. "We're at my house, so don't you worry!" Macy exclaimed cheerfully. She always loved having guests. She got up, went to the kitchen, and came out with a tray of juice. "Would you like some?" She offered Eagle accepted. His mind racing about what had happened. He looked at Sister Animal and smiled. "So..I'mguessing being immortal and all you've had multiple husbands and lovers." "Huh? Oh, yeah, sure." She was focused on her game. She scooted over on the couch, inviting Eagle to sit next to her. Macy went back out into the kitchen to clean up. "Have fun, you two~". Sister turned of the game. "Wait, what did you ask me?" Sister asked Eagle looked over at her. "I uh...Nevermind." His wings retreteated back into his spine and he sat next to her. "Its just.... your thousands of years old...Have you had a lover or a husband in all that time?" "I've had a few boyfriends here and there. But, uh, no. No husbands or anything." She popped her fingers one at a time. Why was Eagle, some stranger she just met a few hours ago, askin such personal qestions? Eagle looked down. "Sorry. I..just..I had a crush on you when I saw you once. You were running. I consultated some old books and found out who you were. Then when I killed Eric I gained his memories. I saw some of your past. Its just..." "Heh..." Sister grinned, fangs showing. She didn't have any past issues. It wasn't tragic, by any means. She just didn't like it when people looked into her past. It was a pet peeve. "You saw my history, eh? how was it?" She said, clenching her teeth. "It seemed. Sad." He kept his face without emotion. "Everything dies. Except you." Compassion shown through his eyes. "Yeah, yeah. We've been over this already. Immortality, everything dies, bla bla bla." She crossed her arms and rolled her eyes. "I don't." Eagle smiled. "Look we just met. I get it. I'm not asking for much. Just a chance." He smiled. "What do I have to do to prove I wanna be with you? I was alone. Then you show up out of nowhere and show me that I need a friend." "I'll be your friend, but nothing more, pal." She put her arm around his shoulders. She liked him and all, just not in the way he was hoping for. "Thats all I need for now." He gave her a hug and closed his eyes. Inside he could tell that for what was about to happen he needed someone by his side. "...yeah, alright..." She too, closed her eyes. She wanted to take a nap. She was exhausted after that day, and she had a head ache from playing video games to long. After a while, she fell asleep.